Come What May
by Sharys Aogail
Summary: (SIII, Reviews wanted) Caught up in a magic wrought storm, a couple become lost in a new land, separated by an entire continent. One gets held against his will, while the other leaps into war, just for a chance to find him again. Not what you would think.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hello again people and welcome to yet another fanfiction idea that my brain forced me to write. All of this came on when I got Futch and Bright during my second time playing the game. (played and beaten, hah!) Upon seeing them I was then reminded, somewhat distantly I might add, of two of my own characters in an old Original story I had created but never fully wrote down.

And so I got to thinking . . . (it was three in the morning, and was coming down from a caffeine induced rush) . . . What would happen if Darlon and Sapphire somehow landed in the realm of Suikoden III? I am sorry to say that this is the result.

Now if you are still reading this and are STILL interested, then by all means enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: Suikoden III does not belong to little ol' me. the only things I own here are Darlon, Sapphire and the world from which they came. So without further ado, I present . . .

Come What May

CHAPTER ONE: The Storm

We flew on, the wind whipping and howling, trying to tear into our very flesh. The rain came down in stinging sheets, soaking even the most well prepared traveler within minutes. With the two combined Sapphire had to swoop low just in case some rogue wind decided that I would be better grounded.

At one point a sudden gust blew from the south. Caught off guard, I nearly lost my grip as Sapphire banked to accommodate the draft.

What a sad pair we made right then.

Sapphire was normally so graceful and majestic in his dragon form, vast leather wings spread to catch the wind, the sun glittering off gem-like scales. With his long neck stretched before him and his serpentine tail trailing behind, he was the very picture of beauty. But now he was reduced to a fumbling, half-drowned hatchling who's scales were darkened and made slick by the raging storm.

And then there was me. A slip of a girl who, at that exact moment, was wet and miserable and trying her damnest to cling to the rain-slicked flight harness. But as it was, I couldn't see for all the water in my eyes, and the harness was becoming so slippery it was like trying to hold a bar of soap.

The spectacle must have looked even more ridiculous by the way we traveled. Sapphire was simply too large to ride like a horse, and with nothing to grab onto, I would have flown right off the moment we tried. When I became too big for Sapphire to carry me in his talons safely, my eldest brother came up with a solution. The best leather worker throughout the Clan, he soon devised a specialized harness. Fastened together by a series of buckles, the straps wound around Sapphire's shoulders to behind his front legs, and circled the base of his neck. Complete with a solid wooden peg on either side of his neck, and a rope loop at the top, I didn't ride so much as I surfed. After thirteen years of practice, I was a master.

Unfortunately, even masters have bad days.

All we wanted to do was go home.

The Clan was going to prepare for winter soon and had sent word to the two of us, for it was the only time of year that we stayed for any great length of time. Sapphire once joked that because of this I would never be fully rid of my pack. A few days later we said goodbye to our friends in Torvollan City and took to the skies.

Right into a storm.

"Are we setting down soon?" I shouted as loud as I could, and then waited for the mental reply.

"As soon as I can find a safe place to land, we will," he informed me wearily. "Hold on!"

No sooner than he spoke the wind suddenly shifted and Sapphire was forced into a barrel roll.

I gasped, eyes widening as the rope loop slipped once and for all beyond my grasp. All I could see was the dark silhouette of the dragon who had been my partner for many years. Never before had I fallen from his back, nor have I ever been afraid of heights. Now I was terrified.

"SAPPHIRE!"

He twisted in midair, turning back on himself and then folded his wings to dive after me. A bolt of lightning flashed just as a massive talon snatched me right out of the sky.

I clung to him, trembling madly, until we had safely touched down to the earth, and even then I collapsed in a heap. The moment Sapphire released me the massive dragon disappeared, replaced by a tall man with slitted eyes and five silver scales running in a perfect line down his forehead. The riding harness that had been fastened to his shoulders was now a discarded tangle of leather straps lying in the mud.

The now-human (and quite exhausted) Sapphire dropped down next to me, forcing me to look at him. "Darlon? Spirits, are you alright? I thought-"

"I'm fine." I gave a smile, but I knew it looked strained. "You caught me, didn't you?"

He nodded, but still looked concerned.

Thunder rumbled overhead, the rain becoming incredibly sharp and stinging.

"We should find shelter," I reminded him.

Sapphire's head jerked up and back, an oddly serpentine movement to be seen in a human body. It was somewhat unnerving when his dragon-mannerisms were mimicked in this form.

Eerie, if you weren't used to them.

He nodded once, then began helping me to my feet. "You're right. We should . . ." He trailed off and froze in mid-stance. His slitted eyes suddenly contracted to tiny black slivers.

Gripping Sapphire's forearms, I turned just enough to look behind me.

The blood in my veins froze.

A twister, wrought of the surrounding storm and crackling with deadly magic, whirled towards us. The towering monster howled in fury even as it shredded the forest around us, faster than any storm I had ever seen.

With a flash of lightning and the booming thunder, it was upon us both.

Then I knew no more.

Author's Note: Yes, the next chapter IS coming soon. I'm just about finished with it actually. Please REVIEW!


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Welcome to the next chapter. My first chapters tend to be short, but that was more of a prologue than anything else. Yes there will be an explanation for the storm, eventually. Thanks to K'Arthur, who gave me some much-appreciated advice. Hope you all find the story enjoyable.

- Sharys -

Disclaimer: I do not own Suikoden 3 or anything related to it. However, Sapphire and Darlon are mine now and forever. Actually some of my friends complain about that fact . . . at least where Sapphire is concerned.

Come What May

Chapter 2

I woke as every high-stung warrior of my clan does; all at once with a weapon in hand.

Except my short-sword was not in its rightful place.

I was in an unfamiliar room. My eyes swiftly adjusted to the dim lighting, revealing a row of identical beds, all made with crisply folded sheets and one fluffy pillow apiece. There was a table set at the center of the floor, where a human woman was currently sleeping, head resting on folded arms while the rest of her slumped uncomfortably in a wooden chair.

It was the smell that really caught my attention, though. To be honest, it was actually the _absence_ of a certain scent that set me on edge. The scent of fresh spring water and the North Winds, Sapphire's scent, was nowhere to be found. After a quick Search, I found that his very presence was missing as well. I extended several mental cries, and waited patiently for his reply. There was none.

This disturbed me more than the absence of my sword.

Moving with an inherited silence, I slipped out of bed, half my attention set on the woman, just in case she decided to wake up.

I was not even in my own clothing. A soft, loose shirt and flimsy pants replaced the sturdy traveling clothes I had been previously wearing. After a quick search of the room I soon added them to my list of missing possessions.

What I _did_ find was a pair of riding breeches and a large tunic.

As I changed, the questions I had been suppressing bubbled to the surface. What happened in the storm? Where was I?

Where was Sapphire? Was he alright?

I unconsciously brushed the four parallel scars that ran over my right bicep, as if hoping that the touch would reestablish our link. The dead silence quickly crushed that possibility.

Memories of another time he had been silent flitted at the very edges of my thoughts, trying to remind me. I viciously buried the traitorous thoughts quickly, before full blown panic could settle in.

I had to find him immediately.

The building I was in was larger than I had expected. There were many corridors with lots of doors that no doubt led to sleeping quarters. When at long last I came to what looked like the main entrance, I discovered another interesting fact about this place.

It had guards.

I ducked behind a pillar, quickly looking at my options. There were only two guards, one on either side of the doubled door, but with no way to judge their skill I was not about to risk any sort of confrontation. There was a tall marble staircase that led up, where (according to my nose) several people currently resided. That wasn't an option either. Then my sharp eyes spotted another stairwell, leading down into darkness.

Keeping to the shadows as best as I could, I crept towards it.

"Who's there?!"

Damn.

I bolted, leaving the two men to follow in my wake shouting "Stop! Stop! Intruder!" over and over. Down two flights of stairs, through the stone basements I ran.

Second floor down was an old dungeon of some sort, rusted and broken down. Following the scent of fresh air, I rounded a corner and instantly noticed two things. An exit and a man in a ninja outfit who stood close by it.

Hearing the guards behind me he drew a sword, swiftly readying himself in a defensive position.

I leapt, shifting the moment I became airborne. Gold eyes widened in shock just as a large white wolf collided into his chest. Using the momentum from his fall, I slid on all fours across the stone floor, shifting back just in time to ram open the door.

Before me lay an outdoor restaurant, framed by a moon-kissed lake. The path leading to it disappeared to the left, beyond another closed building. I followed it.

And was ambushed.

Someone dropped from above, and quickly grabbed me from behind. Two others soon followed, each grabbing an arm. I thrashed and snarled viciously, trying to scratch and claw my way loose, making it as difficult as possible for my captors. A fourth guard had arrived, and was moving forward to help contain me.

I bit him, abnormally sharp teeth finding purchase on an exposed wrist. He screamed as he tore his arm away.

The others were in an uproar, apparently not used to such retaliation.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON OUT HERE?!"

I froze at the thundering voice, a response conditioned by years of dealing with grumpy veterans. All four of the guards froze as well, their attention suddenly honed on the new arrival.

Much to my surprise, it was a young woman. A younger woman who's slender body was encased in gleaming armor. In the moonlight she glowed like a goddess of war, with an expression just as wrathful. Sword drawn, her hair glowed an unnatural silver, cool violet eyes absorbing the scene before her.

My own eyes narrowing, I spit blood at the woman's feet, inwardly smirking as she realized it was not my own.

"Release her."

I blinked.

The guards looked appalled. "But Captain, she-"

"Release her," the woman, their Captain, repeated firmly.

They obeyed, leaving me to straighten myself. Increasingly aware of my missing weapon, I sized up the woman and my current situation. Acknowledging that I was outnumbered and out-gunned, I remained silent, waiting for the Captain to speak first.

Much to my surprise, she sheathed her sword and gave a slight bow.

"I apologize on the behalf of my men. We found you just a this morning, and did not expect you to wake so soon. Your injuries were quite bad."

She smelled strangely of water, but nothing in her scent or her posture told of deceit. "I heal fast," I explained simply. Then, "Where is Sapphire? My companion?"

"I'm sorry, but you were found alone." Upon seeing my slightly panicked expression, she gestured to me. "Come on, let's go inside. You can tell me your story, then I'll tell you what I can."

After wiping the lingering blood from my face, I nodded.

OoOoOoO

Her name was Chris Lightfellow.

She told me how I was found, half-dead and damn near drowned, before one of the residents found me and hauled me out of the lake. None here were familiar with my clan, much less my kind, which explained why they were so surprised at my speedy recovery.

As briefly as I could, I described the storm, and everything up to the point I had blacked out. I left out a few key facts, of course, like Sapphire's dragon form, and my nasty little fall.

In return, Chris told me more about where I was, and the current situation. I was at a place called Budehuc Castle. Here was the stronghold of a group called the Fire Bringer, led by Chris herself, a man named Geddoe, and someone she called the Flame Champion. They were currently gathering any decent fighter they could find to fight for their cause. She briefly went over their current situation, mentioning something called a True Rune several times.

The more she talked, the more confused I became. The terms she used, the people she spoke of . . . none of it was familiar. Harmonia, Grasslands, Zexen . . . even the so called Clans she mentioned were foreign to me.

My heart sank lower as all of it slowly came together in a great, suffocating weight. My belongings gone, Sapphire missing, foreign surroundings, strange people, and everything my mind came up with seemed useless. I never did deal with confusion well, and combined with the stress I was under, it was constricting.

I snapped.

"THIS ISN'T RIGHT!"

"What?" Chris had jerked at my outburst, but now looked genuinely confused.

"THIS!" I gestured wildly about the room, eyes flashing with blue fire. "This place, what you're saying, all of it! I have been to every continent in the world, and I have NEVER heard of any of the places you've mentioned! What about Lovalt, Torvollan, or any other major city I have ever been to? Where are they?"

A sharp knock came at the door before I could continue.

"Come in," Chris called, giving me an apologetic look.

A handsome blonde man stepped inside. Taller than both Chris and I, he was long legged with a particularly mischievous look in his eyes.

I bristled at the interruption, but held my tongue.

Chris gave a resigned sigh. "Yes, Nash?"

The man gave a dazzling smile. "I heard that our Mystery Lady woke up, and decided to come and see for myself. His eyes turned towards me, sweeping up and down, taking in lightly tanned skin, shoulder-length white hair, and piercing turquoise eyes. Skirt chaser, my mind hissed, like a viper giving warning.

"See anything interesting,_ sir_?"

His smile grew broader, as if completely unaware of my glare. "Just admiring a lovely lady, miss."

By this point, Chris was fuming, but kept herself together. I was impressed. "Darlon, this is Nash Clovis, another member of the Fire Bringer. Nash, this is-"

"Darlon Fenris, first daughter of the Lovalt Clan Chief," I finished for her, wanting to see this man's reaction to the title.

There was none.

Chris gave a light cough. "So, who else is awake?"

Nash let loose a faint snort as he scratched the back of his head. "Oh, pretty much the whole damn castle. Several of the guards are in an uproar, saying that our Darlon here is not human, but a ghost. And that's not the only thing I was told."

"Told you?" Chris asked suspiciously. "Or were you eavesdropping?"

He smiled at her and shrugged as if to say, "Does it really matter?"

The woman sighed.

"So, what did they say?" I asked, rather than demanded. I didn't exactly think it would be a good idea to start throwing around orders. Even if it was to an apparent womanizer.

The blonde man turned to me. "Well for starters, the guy with a chunk missing from his arm claims that you're a blood-sucking devil, but that could have been the painkillers talking. Now, Watari on the other hand, says that you are a wolf in the guise of a woman." I blinked. The cheerful, mischievous eyes had suddenly become hard and flinty.

Grudgingly, I had to make a reassessment. There was more to this man than I had originally thought.

"_Watari_ told you that?" Chris's expression was doubtful. "Since when does Watari say anything?"

Nash gave another shrug, the hard look disappearing as if it had never been there. "Well, that's what he said and has the scratches to prove it."

I suddenly felt a twinge of guilt. "I'll apologize to him personally. I didn't think I had hit him that hard."

"Are you saying that Nash is telling the _truth_?!" Chris gaped.

I gave a shrug of my own, but didn't answer directly.

Again, I wished I knew where Sapphire was. I was starting to feel his absence full force, as my nerves began to fray. Whenever we landed in a new town, he was always a soothing element, keeping me from overstressing myself. I was quickly reaching my limit, and was soon going to loose what wits I had left.

Where was he?

I was brought out of my thoughts as another knock came at the door.

"Yes?" Chris called.

A young girl with armor and a spear burst into the room, jumping on the balls of her feet. She moved so fast that she was little more than a silver and orange blur. "Lady Chris, Lady Chris! Is everything all right? Hugo heard all the commotion and wants to know what's going on! He sent me to find you!" The girl smiled brightly and puffed out her chest importantly.

Chris smiled warmly. "Everything is fine Cecile. Could you tell Hugo that our guest is awake, and ask him to arrange a meeting? I know it's late, but it's important."

"Yes Ma'am!" Cecile saluted Chris, and scampered out.

It was then that Chris whirled around on Nash, and immediately pointed at the door. "You, out!"

"What did I do?"

"I don't know about you, but I would think that Darlon would like to get into some proper clothing before she sees any more unfamiliar faces. Now, out! Unless you would like me to have Borus and Percival escort you out?"

He then left without another word.


	3. Chapter 3

Come What May   
Chapter 3 

Everything ached.

At first, the pain was all I was aware of, but as the seconds ticked by the rest of my senses began to clear. Even as my body throbbed, I saw the clear sky ahead, and felt the blistering rays of the sun. I tried to remember where I was, seeing if I could force the answer out.

But, Gods, it HURT!

Ignoring my protesting body, I rolled over onto my side.

All around me was dusty red rock. Towers of it. The few trees that could be seen were gnarled and barren, their roots somehow finding purchase in hard packed soil. I searched my many years of memory for a location. A canyon, perhaps?

I mentally shook my head.

This was not where I was last, and someone was missing.

"Darlon?" I called. Surprised at how raspy my voice was, I swallowed to moisten my throat and tried again. "Darlon?"

I began to stress when I received no answer.

I rose shakily to my bare feet, in a direct defiance to my screaming muscles. Nothing was broken, but I could feel all the bruises and strained muscles just by breathing. As I took inventory of my injuries, I also discovered several large scratches and a nasty cut above my eye, where the blood had long since dried. With all of it put together, it was almost as if I had been cursed all over again.

I involuntarily shuddered at the memory.

To take my mind off such thoughts, I continued to examine my surroundings and was surprised by what I saw. Nearby in a tattered heap lay my harness as well as the travel bags that had been attached toit. Upon rummaging through the pile I discovered that everything was intact and accounted for, except for what Darlon was carrying with her during our flight.

I flinched as I remembered her fall, and the terror that had shone in those bright eyes of hers. If I hadn't caught her when I did . . .

_Enough!_ I shook my head violently. _You caught her. She was fine._

But was she fine now?

I sincerely wished I knew. I tried reaching for her through our link, but was met with a disturbing silence. I frowned. Even when we were too far away for her to actually reach me, I was always able to sense her presence.

I tucked the information away for future investigation. I refused to stress until I had a definite reason to.

"Well," I said, casting a scrutinizing gaze at my surroundings, "I better be on my way."

With that I began to rummage through the pile of supplies, deciding what I would carry with me and what would be left behind.

Author's Note : Yes this is a short chappy on purpose. Just letting you know I'm still alive and no, I haven't abandoned this fic. Happy Holidays people!


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